Sheet-Pan Sausages with Caramelized Shallots and Apples

 I don’t think I’m alone when I admit to being a NYT Cooking devotee. Why spend hours trying to recall what recipe is in what cookbook when you can just type in the ingredients on hand, and voila, a recipe appears on your phone? If you too subscribe to the app, then you are likely familiar with the idea of sheet-pan dinners. These one-pan meals have saved me many an evening when after a long day in the orchard the only idea I’ve had for dinner was popcorn. The sheet-pan recipes NYT offers are all variations on a theme so it’s easy to mix and match ingredients and seasonings and come up with something delicious. Best of all there is only one pan to wash.

One of the recipes I’ve tried is Sheet-Pan Sausages with Caramelized Shallots and Apples. It sounded really good and easy so I followed the recipe as instructed without looking at the readers’ comments. That was a mistake since those readers clearly raised the alarm about burnt shallots and overcooked apples. Instead I got to find out for myself. So based on our collective experiences, I’ve reworked the recipe which I tried this week with much better results. I used three different CSA apples , and the mixture turned out to be pretty terrific. Feel free to throw other vegetables into this mix: fennel, cabbage, thinly sliced potatoes, Brussels sprouts all could work.

NYT also has a recipe for Sheet-Pan Chicken with Apple, Fennel and Onion. If you subscribe, you can access that recipe here. If not, read the recipe below, follow the basic technique, and substitute chicken thighs, onion and fennel for the sausage and shallots. Add the chicken on top of the uncooked apples, fennel and onion, toss with oil, throw on some rosemary, and bake them all together at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Broil for a minute or two at the end to crisp up the skin.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbs olive oil and a bit more

  • 6 shallots (6 oz) - trimmed on both ends and peeled (or 1 large onion)

  • 4 firm apples (original recipe called for 2 but it wasn’t enough)

  • kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausages

  • 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

  • 1 tsp whole-grain mustard

  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

  • Chopped fresh parsley for serving (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°. Line a sheet-pan with parchment paper.

  2. Cut the shallots lengthwise into 1/2” thick wedges.

  3. Core the apples, and cut them into 3/4” thick wedges.

  4. Place the shallots and apples in a bowl, drizzle with 1 Tbs olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss til everything is coated. Set aside.

  5. Place the sausages on the sheet-pan, and use a fork to prick some holes in them. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over them, and toss to coat.

  6. Place the sheet pan in the oven.

  7. After about 15 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and add the shallots, apples, rosemary and mustard. Toss everything with the juices released from the sausages. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more. Remove when the sausages are browned and 160° and the shallots are tender and caramelized. The apples should be tender but not mushy.

  8. Transfer the sausages to a serving platter, and discard the rosemary sprigs. Pour the vinegar over the apples and the shallots, and toss well scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan since we all know those are the tastiest parts.

  9. Add the apples and shallots to the serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve right away.